Now Yamaha has taken a page from the FZ-09’s design book by creating the new FZ-07, powered by an all-new midsize vertical twin utilizing the same 270-degree, crossplane firing order with its crankshaft.
The same innovative design and construction as its bigger brother is apparent throughout the FZ-07’s build, from its groundbreaking engine, the minimalist steel-tube frame and beautiful pressed-steel-sheet swingarm, to the horizontally mounted shock, 10-spoke cast-aluminum wheels and monoblock front brake calipers, etc. But best of all, that most-appreciated attribute from the FZ-09 is also carried over: an unbelievably low price, which for the FZ-07 is listed at $6,990.
We don’t know what they’re putting in the water over at Yamaha HQ in Japan, but we’re certainly hoping the spiking continues.
When Yamaha Motor Japan Senior Executive Officer Kunihiko Miwa stated at the 2012 Cologne show that the three-cylinder crossplane concept engine would be the basis for a new line of Yamaha sportbikes, we didn’t think that same philosophy would be used on a twin-cylinder powerplant (though perhaps looking back at Yamaha’s history would’ve reminded us that it’s not a new concept—anyone remember the TDM and TRX850 twins of the ’90s?).
The all-new 689cc parallel twin utilizes many of the same novel design ideas as its larger sibling besides the crossplane crankshaft, including offset cylinders (moved 7mm forward of the crankshaft centerline—the FZ-09’s are 5mm forward) to decrease piston/cylinder friction by reducing the angle of the connecting rod for more leverage during the power stroke.
Like the FZ-09, the FZ-07 engine’s gearbox is stacked to allow a more compact construction. Up top, Nippon electronic fuel injection with 38mm throttle bodies feed the 80.0 x 68.6mm engine, though in the probable interests of keeping price down, there is no ride-by-wire throttle setup as with the FZ-09.
The chassis may be made out of steel instead of the FZ-09’s aluminum unit to cut costs, but it’s hardly a second-rate build. The steel-tube backbone frame hangs the engine below as a stressed member, which not only permits a narrow midsection but also scales in 11 pounds lighter than the FZ6R frame. The swingarm is an asymmetrical unit made from pressed steel sheet of varying thickness; it’s a beautiful piece, and you’d hardly know it from an aluminum counterpart.
Throwing a leg over the FZ-07 reveals a nice low seat height that should appeal to most novice riders; it feels lower than the claimed 31.7 inches due to the very narrow front portion that makes it easier for those short of inseam to plant their feet at a stop. The overall ergos are much better than the FZ-09; the reach to the bars is not only shorter, but despite Yamaha’s claims of the conventional handlebar being set 24mm higher, it actually seems lower than the FZ-09’s setup that makes you feel like a windsail at 70 mph and above.
The only issue is that legroom is slightly less, so taller riders might feel a bit cramped.Suspension consists of a 41mm KYB conventional fork (non-adjustable) up front, with a preload-adjustable-only shock out back. In another innovative twist, the shock is horizontally mounted to the engine cases with a progressive linkage on the swingarm end, which saves weight and space. Braking is handled by dual 282mm wave-type discs and four-piston monoblock calipers, with the 10-spoke cast-aluminum wheels shod with either OEM-spec Michelin Pilot Road 3 or Bridgestone BT-023 rubber.
As befitting its intended (and likely) market, Yamaha let us sample the FZ-07 in the busy and gritty urban environs of metropolitan Seattle, as well as on some two-lane country-road jaunts on Bainbridge Island. In both these arenas, the crossplane-crank parallel-twin engine surprised us with its abundance of quick-revving torque that is much stronger than you’d expect for an engine of this size. Yamaha is claiming 50.2 foot-pounds at 6,500 rpm, and based on our butt dyno, we’d have no reason to doubt those claims.
There’s plenty of steam from down low to up top, and throttle response is butter-smooth in any situation. You can holeshot traffic with absolute ease, make a highway pass without having to tap dance on the shift lever, roost out of a tight set of corners with minimal fuss, or snap wheelies to your heart’s content in any of the first few gears as long as your skill and license are up to it. And it’s not just torque either; the Yamaha continues to generate surprisingly good power well into the upper reaches of its bar-graph LCD tachometer before the 9,900-rpm redline.
Matching that engine performance is a chassis that also surprised us with its competence. Overall handling is very agile without being twitchy, allowing you to put the FZ-07 exactly where you want with minimal effort. Despite its basic non-adjustability (save for spring preload in the rear), the suspension spring and damping rates at both ends are nearly spot-on for anything from cruising gnarled city pavement to spirited strafing runs down curving country roads. In fact, the FZ-07 actually feels more composed when the pace picks up in the twisties than its FZ-09 brother that has adjustable suspension. Ground clearance was more than adequate for the bike’s intended scope.
Aiding that composure (and performance) is the Yamaha’s incredibly light feel, and once again, the company’s claim of 397 pounds with a full tank of fuel doesn’t seem that far off the mark. Yep, you read that right; 397 pounds is 12 pounds lighter than Ducati’s air-cooled 696 Monster, almost 50 pounds lighter than Suzuki’s SFV650, and more than 60 pounds lighter than Kawasaki’s Ninja 650.
Braking is strong but novice-friendly, with a slightly soft initial response followed by a very linear progression of power. The amount of stopping power is directly proportional to how hard you squeeze the lever, meaning hard stops require a lot of lever pressure, with decent but not great feel.
Is there anything to gripe about with the new FZ-07? Well, we could mention the fuel tank only holds 3.7 gallons. Yamaha claims the bike has a 58 mpg average that allows it to have a greater range than the FZ6R with a 4.6-gallon fuel tank, but we’ll reserve judgment until we get our hands on a test unit and measure it ourselves.
After spending a day on Yamaha’s newest crossplane-crank creation, we couldn’t help but think of Suzuki’s original SV650, the firm’s gazillion-selling midsize V-twin that packed a similar combination of surprising performance and low sticker price. The SV didn’t have a lot of competition though, whereas now there are a good number of midsize bikes vying for the novice/intermediate rider who’s looking for a bike larger than 300cc on a limited budget.
No matter. We can definitely say this: Yamaha HQ in Japan better be sending an amply sized boat-full allotment of FZ-07s over to these shores. Because it is going to be selling a shipload of them.
Specifications
THE 2015 YAMAHA FZ-07
